I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A moment later, Qingdeng, without thinking twice, impatiently pressed for an answer:

"Then how can one hear the 'voice of all things'?"

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

“Ju Qingdeng, haven’t you noticed yet? From the moment you stepped into this place, everything has been eager to tell you. Now, close your eyes and listen carefully.”

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng hurriedly lowered his eyelids, letting the deep darkness surround his vision...

At first, it was completely quiet... The only sound I could hear was my own breathing.

However, the silence was only temporary.

In a short while, he suddenly realized that many unfamiliar voices were approaching him!

It was as if I were deep in the ocean and suddenly heard the sound of a school of fish approaching.

These sounds have no specific meaning and seem to be just simple white noise.

However, Qing Deng was not annoyed by this.

Surrounded by these voices, he felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

Despite the noise and confusion, he could clearly discern where each sound came from.

Some came from the wind, some from the clouds, some from the earth...

Only now did Qingdeng belatedly realize that he was in such a noisy world!

"...I heard it."

What did you hear?

"I heard the sound of the wind, the sound of the clouds, the sound of the earth..."

"anything else?"

"besides……"

Qingdeng strained his ears, not missing a single sound.

Following the sounds of nature, Qingdeng heard familiar human voices.

(The battle isn't over yet... I have to... get up...)

(Hey, don't lose, Tachibana-kun!)

(Orange, I wish you great success.)

The voices of Souji, Ogata, and Hijikata Toshizo... all the voices converged and surged through his mind like a torrent!

"I heard my comrades' voices...!"

After saying that, Qingdeng unconsciously clenched his fists... For some reason, he suddenly felt an invisible, surging power gathering in his chest.

"...Tachibana Aoto, what have you been fighting for all this time?"

Faced with Qingdeng's sudden question, Qingdeng, still listening to the "voice of all things," answered loudly without hesitation:

"I want to protect everyone! I want to protect everyone forever! I want to work with everyone to realize the ideal of 'universal harmony'!"

Qingdeng smiled.

Qingdeng suddenly felt a slight heaviness in his left waist and subconsciously opened his eyes to look—only to find that Vairocana had appeared in his previously empty left waist.

As if sensing something, Qingdeng resolutely raised his right hand and gripped the hilt of Vairocana's sword.

"Since you've made up your mind... then draw your sword!"

In the blink of an eye, a "Vairocana" appeared on Qingdeng's left waist.

"You are the person closest to the 'world'."

"When you draw your sword and rise up in battle, all things in the world will ride alongside you, sword in hand!"

At the very moment Qingdeng finished speaking, he had already gathered strength in his arms—and in the next instant, he drew his sword!

Clang!

The blade, drawn inch by inch, emitted a strong light that enveloped Qingdeng, "Qingdeng," and even the entire space!

……

……

"..."

After being slashed and sent flying, Qing Deng lay on his back on the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Upon seeing this, Ōtakemaru's brows furrowed with a hint of dejection and disappointment.

That being said, he did not show any mercy.

He perfectly embodied the fighting principle of "strike while the iron is hot," raising his blood-dripping silver blade and striding towards Qingdeng.

Just as he was only a few steps away from Qingdeng... Qingdeng stood up.

He used his knife as a support and slowly straightened up.

In an instant, Ōtakemaru seemed to sense something, immediately stopping in his tracks and standing still, his expression changing slightly.

At the same time, a fresh breeze blew in from afar.

It was quite different from the strong wind that blew after Ōtakemaru entered the "Transparent Realm".

Rather, it is a gentle breeze that will not yield no matter how powerful the enemy or how difficult the obstacles!

In the blink of an eye, Niou stood once again on the earth.

Blood was still flowing from the wound on his forehead, and he still couldn't open his eyes.

However, Qing Deng no longer cares about this—he no longer needs his eyesight!

At this moment, even with his eyes closed and everything in complete darkness, he could still see!

Just like he had just been in the "Test Guard Hall," he heard the sound of the wind, the sound of the clouds, and the sound of the earth.

Immediately afterwards, he heard the voice of Souji, who was far away in Otsu Castle, the voice of Sanako and the others who had just left, and the voices of everyone.

The sounds converged, making his perception of the outside world even clearer than when he had his eyes open! Just by "listening to the sounds," he could sense how many weeds and how many pebbles were at his feet!

All sorts of sounds mingled together, like a mighty torrent, like a magnificent piece of music—the "Breaking the Formation Music" that helped them defeat their powerful enemy!

The world is so vast and bustling!

Just then, a system notification, which hadn't sounded since the "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament," suddenly rang in his mind—

[Ding! Host has awakened a talent!]

[Gifted Name: "The One Who Connects the Worlds"]

[Talent Introduction: Possesses an extremely strong affinity with the 'world']

Awakening talent... This is unfamiliar content that I've never heard of before.

If Qing Deng were to open the system interface now, he would see a significant change—a brand new section has appeared directly above the "Talent List" section: [Host's Talent: A Person of the Connected Worlds]

Long-forgotten memories slowly surfaced, and Qingdeng recalled them with a slight pause—after clicking on the "small question mark" next to the name field in the system interface, the system's user manual would appear.

The last line of that long instruction manual clearly states: "When the host meets certain conditions, a new talent can awaken on its own."

More than six years later, this "hidden function" has finally been activated.

Since his transmigration, he has always relied on the talents of others to fight, never considering whether he himself possesses any talent!

—I see… This is… my talent! This is… the “Perfection Realm”!

Qingdeng took a deep breath to calm himself down, then shifted his position to face Ōtakemaru straight ahead.

He could sense that Ōtakemaru was in that direction.

He could sense that Ōtakemaru was extremely happy! So happy he was about to jump for joy!

A joyful smile spread across Ōtakemaru's cheeks, his eyes sparkling, no longer showing the dejection and disappointment he had just displayed.

He must have realized that his opponent had reached the same level as him!

"Come on, Ootengu... let's settle this once and for all!"

Qing Deng decided to use his best move to end the battle.

He deftly flipped his right wrist, changing his grip from normal to reverse, and slowly sheathed the knife. Then he lowered his waist and tightened his feet.

It is neither a flowing light nor the profound "moment," but merely the most ordinary iaido stance.

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Ōtakemaru nodded knowingly, then raised his left hand and tightly gripped the fabric of his clothes on his right shoulder.

With a tearing sound, he ripped his upper body clothes, revealing his muscular torso and the hideous tattoos on his back.

With three heads and six arms, a blue face and fangs, and a towering figure like a mountain... it is none other than Ōtakemaru, the most powerful yokai in Japanese legend!

After revealing his tattoo, he raised his knife overhead, assuming the most standard upper stance—he was also preparing to use his best move!

The two, who had just fought fiercely and whose battle had shaken the very heavens, returned to the most common way of deciding a battle among samurai—a single move to decide the outcome!

A blind man versus a deaf man... Putting everything else aside, the fact that both sides in the battle lacked a sense already makes it unprecedented and likely to remain so.

Qingdeng: "..."

Otakemaru: "..."

A deathly silence descended between the two.

Their standoff brought the space back to complete silence.

The gentle breeze and strong wind that had been sweeping outwards from them gradually subsided.

To outsiders, this place and time is undoubtedly unusually quiet.

But for Aoto and Ootakemaru, the surroundings were incredibly lively.

All things in heaven and earth are eagerly anticipating and watching this once-in-a-millennium showdown!

Previously, Qingdeng believed that "having no distracting thoughts" was the strongest state.

Now, surrounded by a cacophony of noise, he felt as if he were in the strongest state of his life!

Following the "sound of all things," he gradually "saw" incredible sights—he saw the "breath of all things"!